


Cold Blooded (The Hunger Games)

by wlwmason



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25934731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wlwmason/pseuds/wlwmason
Summary: "Who knew the Devil would look good in costumes?"Tess Relish was always lethal from a young age, never failing with spears or knives. After winning the 72 Hunger Games at 15, she seems to have nothing to lose. Three years later, after the teenagers' victory on the 12th, they celebrate the Third Quarter Quell, where she will volunteer again, wanting this time to give herself back her pride.Katniss Everdeen, or rather The Girl on Fire of District 12 and winner of the 74th Hunger Games, is in the same boat. Except that the last one has no other choice, due to the fact that there are no more female winners alive in her District.( Katniss Everdeen x Female OC )
Relationships: Annie Cresta & Finnick Odair, Katniss Everdeen & Original Character(s)
Kudos: 9





	Cold Blooded (The Hunger Games)

PROLOGUE

It's the eighth day of the Games and there's only one person left apart from me, although I don't know who that is. They still haven't put the names and faces of the people who died today. I've only heard three cannons in the day, so it could be anyone. I just hope it's not him. 

Of the two of us, my brother sees this as a game the most. I did, at first, because we were brainwashed, along with Districts 2 and 4, the other professionals, telling us that this was just a game we had to win in order to bring pride to our District.

Suddenly I start hearing sounds of footsteps, and branches breaking, surely they were on the ground.

"Whoever you are, this is your end." I hear a man yelling and I freeze. Unfortunately I know that voice. It was Arsen.

The footsteps are getting louder, which means he's getting closer. He comes running, that's for sure. A few minutes later, I see him looking at me. My heart skips a beat, I never thought I'd have to fight my own brother. I was hoping and praying that if I was still alive, he would have died by now and I wouldn't have to fight him to the death.

"Tess." He mumbles and stares at me with his eyes wide open, as if he were shocked that I was still alive. Although his gaze changes from one moment to the next, from being worried to looking like a maniac. I see her coming closer and closer to me. And I'm not going to lie. He scares me.

"You know, I didn't want it to be like this, that I had to kill you. I'd rather someone else had done it." He says as he pulls out one of the only weapons he's got, a spear, that it wasn't his best, looking at it and smiling like a maniac.

"But it'll be quick, Tess, you don't have to worry. You'll be with Mom soon." He says before he looks away from the weapon. I keep looking at him wide-eyed and taking steps backwards, further away from him. Is he really capable of killing me? His own sister?

"It's you or me." I hear him say before he throws his spear at me.

I dodge it as best I can and the spear gets stuck in a tree trunk. The aim may not have been his strength, unlike mine, but what he did have was strength. 

My brother approaches me, axe in hand, looking me straight in the eye. If looks could kill, I'd be 20 feet under. I quickly look to see if I have any weapons left, and luckily I still have some knives.

"I'm sorry, Tess." He adds with a smile, looking at his gun, and then he looks at me, ready to end my life.

"So am I." I finally say, before my voice is completely gone and I grab one of the knives to throw it at him, hitting him in the chest. I see how he falls instantly to the ground and how the cannon sounds, indicating that he had died.

I stand still, immobile, rather. I had killed my brother, my own blood. I want to scream, but my voice doesn't come out, I'm unable to say a word. It is true that I had killed people before, but not my family, not my own brother. I'm starting to feel dizzy, but I need to be steady, all the people in Panem are looking at me and I can't look weak. I can't afford it.

The arena is quiet. The birds that were whistling a few minutes ago have suddenly stopped. I look around, maybe there was some more tribute left and that's why nobody said anything. Although if I had counted correctly, a total of 23 cannons had sounded during these eight days I have been here.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the winner of the seventy-second annual Hunger Games, Tess Relish, District 1!" I hear the organizer of the Games say, before they came looking for me.

• • • • 

It's been three years since then. Today is the day of the reaping of the Third Quarter Quell, the event that takes place every 25 years. A few months ago, it was announced that the tributes of this event would be winners of the previous Games, so I have a 50% chance of going, since only Cashmere and I are the only living female winners in our District.

I'm on the train on my way to District 1, which had been my home until I was fifteen. Even though I haven't been there since that age, after looking out one of the windows I see that it's the same as it always was. The streets are full of people, something that was normal on the day of the reaping, and in the daily life, and lots of people waiting to see us. 

The young people who in one way or another, had brought honor and glory to our families and our home. Or we were supposed to bring it.

The train doors opened, causing the three of us to leave a few moments later.

We have guards in front of us and behind us to go to the Justice Building, where a few minutes later they would do the Harvest. There I see two people. Mayor Loyd is one of them, the other being our escort Sapphire, who had been in office less than ten years, but was still very much loved in the District.

We go on stage still escorted by guards while the last one begins to speak.

"Welcome, welcome!" I hear the adult begin to speak with a big smile. Everyone listening to him carefully. "Today we celebrate the 75th anniversary and the Third Quarter Quell of the Hunger Games." He adds, still smiling.

"As always, ladies first." He adds before walking to where the bowl was, to take out one of the two papers. "The women's tribute from District 1 is... Cashmere Tanner!" He says, to which Cashmere smiles, ready to bring honor back to the District. I roll my eyes, she may have been my mentor but one thing she couldn't deny is that she's unbearable.

After everything that's happened to me I still want to be proud of myself again, to know that despite what I've done and all the mistakes I've made, and hating myself for them, I can do even one thing to restore my pride. And apart from that, I have nothing left, I have nothing to lose.

"I volunteer as a tribute." I say a few minutes after the announcement, before I turn to look at Sapphire, and notice the surprised and hateful face of the blonde, who grabs my hand violently as soon as she hears me, trying to threaten me, and making me turn to look at her.

"You can't do this." She whispers to me so that other people cannot hear, while she squeezes my hand more tightly.

"I just did." I respond smirking before shaking her hand to make her let go, then walking to where our escort was, waiting for her to announce the male tribute.

"I see we have a volunteer. The tribute is Tess Relish!" The adult says with a big smile, as people applaud.

"Perfect, now let's go to the men." He adds before going to the bowl where there was only one paper. "Our male tribute is... Gloss Tanner!" He announces before looking at him, people clap and the winner walks over to where Sapphire was. 

"The District 1 tributes, Tess Relish and Gloss Tanner!" Our escort repeats again, both brothers look at me with hatred one last time before looking at the audience, who applaud even more. After that, they take us both to the train.

• • • • 

Gloss doesn't bother to ask me why I did it, he already knew, and he would have done the same if there had been another winner. 

We just sat there, me near the windows, watching my old home fade away, and the brunette on the other side of the car, I guess thinking of different ways to kill me.The day passes slowly until it's evening. I don't have much to do since my District partner doesn't seem very interested in having a conversation with me, which I'm not too keen on either, so I just look out the window and think about what might have happened if my brother had won instead of me. He might have volunteered to take Gloss's place and Cashmere would have gone in my place. 

I don't like to think about him after what happened. But in this situation, it was impossible not to. I visualize him in my head, for some reason, with a beard, and after several years, still proud of the honor he had given to the District and to our father.

I fall asleep with my head leaning against the window. In my dream, or rather nightmare, I appear in my old house in the District. I look at what used to be my brother's room, and I see him lying upside down on his bed, just like when he died in the arena, with a knife in his heart. I also hear voices, or rather his voice. "It's your fault, Tess. I should have come out of that arena." 

A minute after that, I cover my ears, the volume of his voice had risen to a scream. When I feel weird, I go to one of the mirrors, to see myself full of blood, his blood. 

As soon as I saw myself, I woke up with a jump, my breathing was shaking. I notice Gloss looks at me with no expression on her face, to look away from me at the minute.

It's not the first time this has happened to me, and I know it won't be the last. Since my Games I always have nightmares or hallucinations. I still don't understand how I haven't gone crazy. 

Usually I see myself, walking through the giant forest with my brother and the tributes from District 2. Gala Kristel, a few inches taller than me in spite of being two years older, brunette and good with the spears. And Ezio Laughty, the sixteen-year-old black-haired who was good with the bow, you could say it was his best weapon. We were in the alliance until a few tributes were left and we knew we would have to fight each other. 

Gala was the first of the four to die, with an axe buried in her chest. A few hours later Ezio died, although I don't know the cause. A day later, I killed my brother. 

Otherwise, I see my brother's death on a loop and I hear my step-brother's screams.

There's an hour or two left to get to the Capitol. I rub my eyes and sit down, to listen to my district partner in the next car, talking to our escort. I take a deep breath and wait until we get there, hoping I won't be locked up on a train much longer with a man who wants to kill me and who would possibly take a steak knife to do it.

When we arrive, the train doors open. Sapphire goes out first, followed by Gloss and finally me. I look at the giant building, which is still the same as the last time I saw it, a few months ago. It was still the huge place where all or most of the events were held among the high-ranking people.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Since I first read The Hunger Games a few months ago, I've wanted to make a story where the protagonist is from a Career District, and now, a few months later, I've finally decided to do it.   
> I hope you like it!


End file.
